The James Kenneth Larson Collection

01 Jun 20 - 09:21 PM (#4056595)
Subject: Folklore: The James Kenneth Larson Collection
From: Jack Horntip

An important collection of folksongs current in Idaho from 1910-1930 from Idaho is available online.

The James Kenneth Larson collection is available online at


https://archive.org/details/1933-1972jameskennethlarson/mode/2up


At over 900 pages, Ed Cray said that this collection was important and should be published. There are many common songs, songs I don't recognize, bawdy songs, folklore, and jokes. Think of it as a Vance Randolph of Idaho.

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01 Jun 20 - 10:10 PM (#4056600)
Subject: RE: The James Kenneth Larson Collection
From: Lighter

The 900 pages comprise several iterations of the same thing., and there's a good deal of material from Legman too.

Nevertheless, a very instructive collection.

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02 Jun 20 - 07:02 AM (#4056653)
Subject: RE: The James Kenneth Larson Collection
From: Jack Horntip

Yes this collection contains several items:

1) Songs and Ballads: Folk Material and Old Favorites. (ca 1933)
2) Songs of Eastern Idaho (1950)
3) Barnyard Folklore of Southeastern Idaho (1952)
4) Typical Specimens of Vulgar Folklore, collected by Gershon Legman (1952)
5) The Folklore Trade (1952)
6) Countryside Folklore: Songs and Ballads of Bygone Times (1972)
7) Letters written to James Kenneth Larson from Austin E. Fife, Wayland D. Hand, Richard M. Dorson, Joseph Hickerson, and Sylvia Cline, from 1957 to 1972

The later Larson manuscripts are redactions, expansions, and revisions of the earliest work. Most of the song material dates dates from 1918-1933. A large collection of materials with some items not found elsewhere.

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